Canadians Invited to “Carry the Weight” this October – For Kids Like Hamdiya

Children Believe's Inaugural Carry the Weight Walking Challenge gives our daily exercise a new purpose as a weighted walk fundraiser for children facing poverty around the world

Markham, ON, Canada, Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This October, Children Believe is asking Canadians to Carry the Weight by inviting them to join a month-long walking challenge built to lighten that load for kids around the world. Participants choose their own distance — 25km, 50km or 100km over the month — and add weight to every step: a loaded backpack, a weighted vest, even a water jug, echoing what Hamdiya carries every single day. There's no route, no start time and no finish line to show up to — just a walk, made to mean something.

In Ghana, 12-year-old Hamdiya walks up to 12 kilometres a day with her mother, carrying water home for their family before school even starts.

"In the morning I go to school late because I have to fetch water. By the time I sit in class, I'm too tired to follow the lessons," Hamdiya says.

Her story is not unusual. Across the communities Children Believe supports, children and families routinely walk long distances carrying heavy loads — water, firewood, schoolbags — just to get through the day, often at the cost of school, rest, or childhood itself.

"Children Believe wanted to provide Canadians a way to not just support children living in poverty, but to step into their lived day-to-day reality,” says David Basco, Children Believe’s Director of Channels & Campaigns. “Our inaugural Carry the Weight Walking Challenge is an act of solidarity with the children we serve while raising funds to remove the obstacles standing in their way.”

Funds raised through the challenge go directly to Children Believe's work in more than 1,025 communities across 8 countries, removing barriers like Hamdiya's daily walk for water — the barriers that keep kids from going to, staying in, and finishing school.

Hamdiya's walk also puts a familiar health goal in perspective. The popular "10,000 steps a day" benchmark most Canadians are encouraged to hit works out to roughly 7–8 kilometres. Hamdiya covers more distance than that every single day — carrying water, not walking for fitness — often before she's even reached her classroom. Carry the Weight invites Canadians to close that gap: to take the steps they're already counting and put a reason behind them.

Why it's catching on

• A daily habit, given a purpose. Many Canadians already walk or exercise regularly — Carry the Weight reframes that routine into something that directly connects to a child's daily reality.
• A physical, visceral connection to the cause. Adding weight to a walk is a small, direct way to feel a fraction of what Hamdiya and kids like her carry every day, making an abstract issue tangible.
• A challenge anyone can do, on their own terms. No race registration, no special equipment, and three distance tiers so first-time walkers and dedicated athletes can both take part.
• Team-friendly. Workplaces, schools and friend groups can register as teams and fundraise together — a natural fit for corporate wellness and CSR programs.
• Momentum is building. More than 500 Canadians have already signed up!

Media Resources
High-resolution photos and participant images — including images from the communities Children Believe supports — are available upon request.

Interview Opportunities
David Basco, a participant in this year's challenge, is available for interviews about their experience taking part. To arrange an interview, please contact:

Dave Stell, Communications Manager, Children Believe
dstell@childrenbelieve.ca; 416.898.6770

About Carry the Weight
Carry the Weight is a walking challenge and fundraiser benefiting Children Believe, taking place throughout October. Participants choose a distance (25km, 50km or 100km), add weight to their walk, and raise funds on their own schedule and route. Learn more or sign up at carrytheweight.ca.

About Children Believe
Children Believe is a Canadian charity that has worked alongside communities for over 65 years to remove the obstacles that get in the way of children going to, staying in, and finishing school. Working through 32 local partners in over 1,025 communities across 8 countries, Children Believe is a proud member of the ChildFund Alliance, a global network of 11 child-focused organizations supporting more than 36 million children and families worldwide. Learn more at childrenbelieve.ca.

Attachments

• Carrying the weight
• Walk this way

Dave Stell
Children Believe
4168986770
dstell@childrenbelieve.ca